TEAM UP AND SAVE with GROUP personal training! Currently offering JULY discounted rates on couples and group personal training session packages. Get your summer fitness routine started STRONG with a custom fit workout plan and an extra dose of exercise motivation. Hurry up and book – time slots fill up fast! CONTACT ME for details.

Fearless Fitness Tip Of the Week: Have a Fitness Adventure!

Happens every year…. You’re HARD CORE in the beginning of the summer, hitting the gym like its your job and dutifully managing your nutrition. But once the season hits full stride, its all too easy to fall OFF the wagon… and into a lawn chair. Before you know it the heaviest thing you’re lifting is an icy cocktail.

Fortunately, staying in shape this summer doesn’t mean choosing between having fun and staying fit. You can get your summer motivation back on track just by MIXING IT UP a bit! And thats exactly what you should do when your fitness motivation starts to dwindle. It’s extremely beneficial to BRANCH AWAY FROM a fitness routine and find other ways to make your workouts FUN. After all an exercise routine will only work for a short period of time before your body adapts and stops seeing results. To keep exercise interesting, stay motivated, AND continue to progress you should change up your routine every 4-6 weeks.

I want you to break away from your routine and try something new! Because of our routines we often forget that life is an ongoing adventure. This week, take yourself by surprise. Do Something Brilliant every day. Strike out in some new directions. Amaze yourself when you learn what you are capable of. Here are a few fun ideas for you:

Try out a magazine workout and complete ALL the sets and reps. Mix it up by picking up Men’s Health, Oxygen, or Runner’s World. Anything DIFFERENT!

Host a fitness DVD swap with your friends. That Pilates workout you’ve grown tired of may be the perfect gift for your new-to-fitness friend.

Give your camping weekend a fitness makeover by portaging. This means you’ll be carrying your canoe and cargo to a new campsite each day.

Try a new fruit, like a prickly pear or guava. When your summer sweet tooth craving hits, its on standby.

Replace one weekly spin class with an OUTDOOR ride. Contact your city’s parks and recreation department to map out the trails. In San Francisco, Sports Basement and other specialty cycling stores are also a great resource. Be sure to wear your helmet and SPF. Safety FIRST!

Host a family or friend picnic with clean eats and a friendly soccer/frisbee/ or dodgeball tournament at your local public park.

Get a team going. Start training for an adventure race which can include hiking, or biking through dense forests, paddling, or climbing (Look into “urbanathon” or tough muddler events – you’re guaranteed to have fun and push your limits!)

Take your canine companion for a nice long stroll on your active rest days.

Run the stairs at your local stadium or public park (SF’s Lands End park has sand stairs – SO FUN!)

Take a stroll over to your local farmers market for fresh fruits and veggies. It’s prime time!

Team up: Meet new (fit) people and work up a sweat by joining a sports league. Try softball, volleyball, or flag football.

Instead of a beach vacation, why not attend a yoga retreat? They’re often held in beautiful locations and can include healthy meals and hiking. My good friend and yoga instructor Erika Hollister is hosting one in the fall for an unbeatable price… Puerto Vallerta In October – sounds DELIGHTFUL! Click HERE for more info 🙂

Take up surfing or paddle boarding for full-body toning.

GIVE BACK. Sign up for a 5K relay or even a dance-a-thon. Have friends and family pledge you.

Start a lunch hour walking/running group at your office or school and train for as a group for a long distance run or charity walk.

Go to TimeAndDate.com to find out when the sun sets. Grab your significant other or best friend for a sunset walk to end the day on a high note.

Get over your commitment issues and sign up for a month long bootcamp or training package. Have someone help YOU work your body with an interesting fitness program and new moves.

Challenge yourself to try a NEW move per body part. Zercher squat anyone?

Learn martial arts or creative dance.

Take the scenic route and walk to work. SAVOR LIFE – Remember… we only pass this way once!

Fearless Fitness Challenge of the Week: SHARE Your Adventure Story!

One of my goals in building this blog was to have a community of SUPPORT, MOTIVATION, and ENCOURAGEMENT in your quest towards living a healthy life. Has it helped at all? Have you found information or inspiration that’s empowered you in your FEARLESS life?

I have always loved the amazing discussions we have on here and any chance I have had to get to know you guys better. Thats why this week’s challenge is something fun to get to know you on a more personal level.

As you know, fitness comes in a variety of ways and what works for one person might not be exactly right for someone else. It’s up to us to try what’s out there and make the best decision for US. So this week I want you to show me what fitness looks like to you – I want you to SHOW ME YOUR SUMMER FITNESS ADVENTURE! To participate, please send me a picture from your day with a caption by Thursday at noon (PST) to carichic@pacbell.net (subject “Summer Fitness Adventure”). It can be anything food or fitness-related from your summer of mixing it up and HAVING ADVENTURES. A pic from an amazing run or fitness class, your breakfast, a snack, a hike, whatever you like. I’ll post the photos on the blog on Friday 🙂

Your images will be shared on the blog and will help inspire OTHERS to be healthier. TAKE THE CHALLENGE THIS WEEK and SHARE your summer fitness adventure with me! I want to feature YOU – the readers that make our online “healthy living community” inspirational :). Who knows, your summer fitness adventure could encourage others to break out of their shell and live healthier.